Sprinkler head for fire-extinguishing systems



Feb. 20; 1951 w. J. HERRBOLD SPRINKLER H EAD FOR FIRE EXTIN'GUISHI'NG SYSTEMS Filed llarch 19', 1948 INVENTOR. NJ. HERRBOLD ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE SPRINKLER HEAD FOR FIRE-.EXTINGUISH-e ING SYSTEMS William J. I -Ierrbold, N-yack, N. Y.

Application March 19, 1948, Serial No. 15,873

This invention relates to f re extinguishing sprinkler systems or apparatus, and aims to provide a novel, useful, efficient and practical sprinkler head which is adapted to direct a spray of water under pressure at the source of the fire.

The above broad as well as additional and more specific objects will become apparent in the following description, wherein characters of reference refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted that the drawings are intended solely for the purpose of illustration, and that it is neither desired nor intended to limit the invention to any or all of the exact details of construction shown except insofar as such details may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a multiple sprinkler unit fed by a water supply pipe, showing one of the sprinkler heads of this invention thereon, and also showing fragmentarily in horizontal section a tower enclosing the unit.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1, with parts broken away to expose the interior, showing one of the automatically opened sprinkler valves in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the valve in open position.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I l indicates a tower or the like rising from the floor, not shown, of a structure such as, by way of example, a warehouse. A vertical pipe l3 rises into each tower ll, and at one or more horizontal levels each pipe I3 is provided with a header l2. In the example illustrated, the header 52 comprises four quadrantially spaced nozzles I5, and hence at the level of the header the tower II is provided with four openings l4 through which the tips of the nozzles l5 may project. However, any other number of nozzles I5 may be provided instead on the header, in which case the openings I l would be arranged accordingly.

Each nozzle l5 comprises a length of pipe [9 having an enlarged valve housing 26 therein and having a sprinkler head 21 at its free extremity. The housing 25 contains a butterfly valve 22 rigid on a pivoted pin or shaft 23. The extremity of the short arm 24 of a substantially L-shaped weighted lever 25, is rigid with the valve 22 at one end of the pin 23 which extends from the housing 2!]. The long arm 26 of the lever 25 has a weight 21 on its extremity, and at the junction of the arms 24 and 26 an opening 28 is provided through the lever.

A solenoid 29 Whose slidable armature 30 is normally in outward or expelled position, is mounted on the housing 20 and normally has its armature extending through the opening 2%! when thevalve 22 is closed, as shown in Fig. 2, that is, when the lever 25 is in the position shown in that figure. Thus, the solenoid armature maintains the lever 25 in the position shown and thus maintains the valve in closed position. It is apparent that, upon withdrawal of the armature 3!] into the solenoid and consequent removal thereof from the opening 28, the lever 25 will fall into the position shown in Fig. 3, in which position the valve 22 is open, and the weight of the arm 25 of the lever will maintain the valve in open position until it is manually closed.

The sprinkler head 2| comprises a perforated cap 3| having an inturned flange 32 on the end of a sleeve 33. The end of the pipe 19 is reduced at 34 thus providing a shoulder 35, and is further provided with a flange 36 at its extremity. The cap is slidably mounted on the pipe l9 in the fashion shown in Figs. 4 and 5, so that it may move between the limit stops provided by the shoulder and the flange 35. A number of deformed leaf springs 31 are positioned between the sleeve and the reduced pipe portion 34 and between the shoulder 35 and the flange 35, and they normally urge the cap against the tip of the pile It to close the open end thereof as the central portion 38 of the cap is solid. The springs 31 are of proper strength or tension that, upon the rush of water through the pipe 19 when the valve 22 is suddenly opened in the manner described above, the force of the water will roll up the springs 3'? into the position shown in Fig. 5 while pushing the cap outward to permit passage of the water through the perforations, which are arranged in a circle about the center of the cap 3|, through the said perforations.

Mounted adjacent each solenoid 23 on the housing 20, is a perforated casing 39 adapted to contain a thermostatic switch, not shown, adapted to be closed by the heat of a proximate fire, to Withdraw the solenoid plunger 35 from the opening 28 in the weight lever 25 to permit the weight 21 to fall.

It is apparent now that when the thermostatic switch, not shown, is closed owing to the outbreak of a fire in the neighborhood of the switch, to close the gap between the element and its contact 56, the solenoid 29 will be energized, thus releasing the arm 25 of the valve 22 as before mentioned, and opening that valve. Simultaneously, the solenoid 29a will be energized and the master valve I! will be opened. A limit stop pin 3 12 may be provided on the housing 20 to prevent the lever 25 from falling too far. When the valve 22 is thus opened, a rush of Water into the sprinkler head will open the latter in the manner set forth, to discharge a full flow of water spray under pressure into the neighborhood of the fire.

Obviously, modifications in form or structure may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a sprinkler system, a pipe having an external flange on the extremity thereof and having a collar rigid thereon spaced from said flange, a cap having a sleeve extending therefrom, said sleeve having an internal flange on the end thereof, said cap being mounted on said pipe with said internal flange slidably mounted on said pipe between said pipe flange and collar, resilient means mounted between said pipe flange and said 20 4 diameter than the internal diameter of the pipe and of lesser external diameter than the external diameter of said pipe flange, said extremity of the pipe including said pipe flange thereby normally sealing said inlets.

2. The device set forth in claim 1, said ring of passages having on each radius through any of said passages at least two of said passages radially spaced from each other and divergent with respect to each other.

WILLIAM J. HERRBOLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 983,396 Oliver Feb. 7, 1911 1,284,197 Larner et a1 Nov. 5, 1918 1,802,510 Hole et a1 Apr. 28, 1931 1,902,003 Werder Mar. 21, 1933 2,021,148 Hodgman Nov. 19, 1935 2,310,599 Roach Feb. 9, 1943 2,334,826 Lowe Nov. 23, 1943 

